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About the Project This Statewide Strategic Plan will identify strategies to enhance the ATV program of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and address growing demand for ATV opportunities while considering the long-term environmental and financial impacts of trail development. Plan recommendations will be informed by a thorough existing conditions assessment, multiple public engagement sessions, and a robust statewide spatial analysis that incorporates social, environmental, and infrastructure data.
The final plan will include:
Trail inventory and existing system audit
ATV usership trends analysis
Maintenance and funding recommendations to ensure future trail viability
Economic impact estimates of ATV activity in Minnesota
Sustainable trail development recommendations
Trail development and connectivity opportunity analysis
Program, policy, and process recommendations
Project Process
Project Startup The Project Startup phase includes the development of project contacts lists and a project website. It also includes a review of past planning efforts and initial data gathering for later phases of the project.
Project Startup The Project Startup phase includes the development of project contacts lists and a project website. It also includes a review of past planning efforts and initial data gathering for later phases of the project.
Engagement The Engagement Phase includes several public and stakeholder engagement opportunities. This phase stretches through most of the planning process and includes two public surveys, a series of focus groups and stakeholder meetings, as well as a meeting with members and directors of ATV Minnesota. The survey results can be found in the upper right-hand corner of this page!
Inventory The Inventory Phase includes a thorough data collection exercise that will result in a comprehensive database of existing ATV trail alignments and characteristics supporting enhanced management and decision-making. The planning team will engage with land managers and trail administrators to build out the quantitative and qualitative trail database.
Analysis The Analysis Phase includes a robust spatial analysis that incorporates a variety of social, environmental, and infrastructure data. This analysis will help us identify areas of potentially suitable land for ATV trail development, as well as areas where sensitive natural communities or land management may present constraints. This phase also includes an economic impact analysis and an analysis of future maintenance needs and costs.
Plan Documentation The Plan Documentation phase is where findings from the engagement, inventory, and analysis phases come together to form strategies and recommendations. During this phase we will identify trail development opportunities, economic development strategies, and funding requirements for future trail construction and maintenance.
About the Project This Statewide Strategic Plan will identify strategies to enhance the ATV program of the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and address growing demand for ATV opportunities while considering the long-term environmental and financial impacts of trail development. Plan recommendations will be informed by a thorough existing conditions assessment, multiple public engagement sessions, and a robust statewide spatial analysis that incorporates social, environmental, and infrastructure data.
The final plan will include:
Trail inventory and existing system audit
ATV usership trends analysis
Maintenance and funding recommendations to ensure future trail viability
Economic impact estimates of ATV activity in Minnesota
Sustainable trail development recommendations
Trail development and connectivity opportunity analysis
Program, policy, and process recommendations
Project Process
Project Startup The Project Startup phase includes the development of project contacts lists and a project website. It also includes a review of past planning efforts and initial data gathering for later phases of the project.
Project Startup The Project Startup phase includes the development of project contacts lists and a project website. It also includes a review of past planning efforts and initial data gathering for later phases of the project.
Engagement The Engagement Phase includes several public and stakeholder engagement opportunities. This phase stretches through most of the planning process and includes two public surveys, a series of focus groups and stakeholder meetings, as well as a meeting with members and directors of ATV Minnesota. The survey results can be found in the upper right-hand corner of this page!
Inventory The Inventory Phase includes a thorough data collection exercise that will result in a comprehensive database of existing ATV trail alignments and characteristics supporting enhanced management and decision-making. The planning team will engage with land managers and trail administrators to build out the quantitative and qualitative trail database.
Analysis The Analysis Phase includes a robust spatial analysis that incorporates a variety of social, environmental, and infrastructure data. This analysis will help us identify areas of potentially suitable land for ATV trail development, as well as areas where sensitive natural communities or land management may present constraints. This phase also includes an economic impact analysis and an analysis of future maintenance needs and costs.
Plan Documentation The Plan Documentation phase is where findings from the engagement, inventory, and analysis phases come together to form strategies and recommendations. During this phase we will identify trail development opportunities, economic development strategies, and funding requirements for future trail construction and maintenance.
The following forum topics highlight key ideas and themes which emerged during stakeholder sessions, public comment, and focus group discussions held previously in the process. These themes set the foundation for high-level recommendations for the plan. The purpose for this tool is to 1) share what we've heard in the process so far; 2) to further develop the key themes we've heard into actionable guidance; 3) provide a platform for community discussion.
To participate, please create an account by clicking "register" in the upper right-hand corner of this webpage. Please be respectful of ideas and opinions voiced. This tool is monitored to ensure appropriate community content. By posting, you acknowledge the following:
Rules of Engagement
1) Please be respectful of the ideas and opinions of others.
2) Presume positive intentions.
3) Vulgar language and content is prohibited.
4) Moderators reserve the right to remove inappropriate comments and content at their discretion.
a) Identify areas with an established user base that may experience negative impacts due to user conflict and displacement of other users groups due to motorized use.
b) When possible, separate motorized and non-motorized trail uses while reducing the redundancy of infrastructure like bridges.
Please consider the following when addressing this theme:
Things to think about:
1) What needs to be considered for this key theme?
2) What should this outcome look like?
3) What opportunities for collaboration exist related to this theme? (Between different user groups, agencies, etc)
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Hosting an ATV System - Community Impacts
This purpose of this session was to better understand the needs, desires, and concerns of communities experiencing ATV use and the impacts it presents. The desired outcome from these sessions was to grow our understanding of existing perceptions and existing conditions while building a foundation for future project involvement and partnerships between participants.
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Where do we go from here? Evolution of the Minnesota ATV Program
The purpose of this session was to identify and better understand the needs and challenges of future ATV use in the state for ATV users, Minnesota residents, and the areas directly impacted by ATV use. The desired outcome from these sessions was to grow our understanding of existing conditions and needs to identify appropriate next steps relating to planning, development, enforcement, protection, and programming. These groups were also intended to build a foundation for future project involvement and partnerships between participants.